Of Dragons and Dogs
by Moonchylde
Summary: Post War. I really suck at summaries, but please tell me what you think!


The summer day was warm, sunny and had a gentle breeze. A girl was walking up the driveway to a house of peculiar façade. If she didn't know better she'd think that the house was on it's way down, as no "normal" house could stay upright the way it was built. She smiled as the feeling of ease slowly made its way through her body. The chickens that were littering in the yard ran towards her and she bent down and petted them apologising for the lack of treats.

The door she was facing towards opened and a short, plump and kind-faced woman smiled brightly at her. She rose from her crouch and walked towards the woman. The fiery red hair colour was slowly giving way to grey but she was still a very beautiful woman.

"Taima!" The woman exclaimed walking closer to the girl and embracing her in a bone-crushing hug. "So glad you could make it."

"It's really good to see you again Mrs. Weasley." Taima smiled. The older woman led her into the kitchen where she quickly washed her hands.

"The whole family is here," Mrs. Weasley said happily. "Even Charlie! He managed to take a few weeks off." Her smile at this point was at the brink of splitting her face.

The feeling of ease, that earlier had spread through her body, was now rapidly fading. "The whole family?" Taima asked.

"Yes. The grandchildren are here as well. Isn't it wonderful?"

"Yes… wonderful." It was apparent that Mrs. Weasley had not noticed the unease in her voice as she ushered her to the sitting room.

"Look who's here!" Mrs. Weasley announced capturing the attention of the adults. Taima quickly counted thirteen heads that had turned her way. One of the twins was quickly up onto his feet and hurried to embrace her.

"How are you?" he asked.

"I'm good Fred. You?"

"I'm George and I have a fiancé." He told her with a grin.

"You are Fred and congratulations," she smiled.

"How is it that you always know?" he asked curiously. Taima only answered with a shrug however and went to greet Hermione and Ginny.

"Bill, Charlie, would you mind setting the tables?" Mrs. Weasley asked while walking back to the kitchen. Taima quickly took the chance of going outside when the matriarch wasn't looking. The oldest children in the Weasley family quickly set the tables and soon the big family was seated. Mrs. Weasley ushered Taima into a seat beside the second to oldest boy before seating herself.

Dinner, as it always was at the Weasley home, was quickly over. Most stayed seated to talk while the kids and a few of the adults left to play. Taima was one of the ones who left the table. She loved the family, but it could get crowded at times. She went and sat behind some trees, but her solitude was short lived.

"Do you know where the dog my parents had went?" Charlie Weasley asked as he sat down beside her.

"I heard they let it go after the war. It's probably running around somewhere enjoying its freedom or maybe frolicking in a meadow or something."

"That sounds good. Is that what you're doing these days? Frolicking?" Charlie grinned at her. She didn't answer with anything but giving him a look. "How's dog's life?"

"It's not. Haven't been dog since the war." She told him honestly.

He frowned, "Then what do you do?"

"I work. As well as I can anyway. Freelancing most of the time."

"With what?"

"With what I do best of course," she smiled. "But then, I don't get to stay in one place for long. Haven't gotten to since I stayed here." Neither of them spoke for a while, enjoying the shared silence between them. The family by the tables were slowly getting things back to where they were supposed to be, the chickens were cuddling together in their coup, the birds and other creatures were slowly going to sleep and letting the nocturnal animals take their places. The sky was slowly turning into a darker shade of blue.

"How's the reserve?" Taima asked after several minutes.

"It's fine. You should come see it sometime."

She turned her head to see him smiling while leaning his head against the tree behind him. She figured he was probably thinking about the dragons back in Romania. He suddenly frowned and turned to face her.

"You don't have to, it's just a suggestion."

"I know, Charlie. Not sure how well your co-workers would take that though, considering…"

"Considering what, Taima? I think my co-workers wouldn't mind seeing a fresh face around that place."

"Considering how and where I usually sleep." She sighed deeply. "Any new dragons at the reserve?"

"Don't try and change the subject. Is that all that's bothering you about visiting? The whole family has been, but you haven't."

"I'm hardly family, Charlie." She shook her head at him.

"If you weren't family, then why would you be invited to a _family_ dinner? You're family, Taima, you'll have to accept that sooner or later. Rather sooner, you've been on your own for far too long."

"I've been on my own for too long? Who are you to make that decision?"

"Hey, no need to get snappy. Only meant that we do care about you," he said gently looking at her earnestly.

Taima sighed, a bit of shame washed over her when she spoke, "you're right, I'm sorry. You and your family are the few who have actually cared enough to keep me around, and that you seem to want to! But as well that it's not just because of what happened with Fred. That, to me, it's mind boggling."

"We will always be grateful for what you did for Fred. It's not something that many people would do, even in the heat of battle. But you came to us long before that and even then you became part of the family." Charlie scooted closer and put his arms around her. "I, for one, am really glad you're here and I hope you remember that you can always come to us if you ever need anything, even it it's just company for a while." He felt her head rub against his chest as she nodded.

After a few moments spent in silence Charlie looked down at the girl still in his arms, gave her a kiss on the forehead and helped her up on her feet. "I think it's time to go inside." Taima only answered with a nod and they walked to the living room where the adults of the Weasley family now were. Seeing only one tiny space left for them to sit Charlie, being the gentleman his mother raised him to be, offered Taima to sit but she only shook her head, thought for a second and where she had been standing wasn't her but the dog that the family used to have. Charlie laughed and sat down in the free space where Taima the dog happily jumped up and sprawled across his and Ginny's lap.


End file.
